Susan Swartz is my best friend, but she has one problem: she can’t seem to keep up in math. I am a math wizard, and I practically get a 100% on all of my math tests. By the way, my name is Melodie, and because Susan is my friend, I tutor her in math to help her get better grades on the tests. Sometimes my assistance works, but other times it is almost like I haven’t helped her at all.
Well, our big midterm math test was coming up—the one that is supposed to be fifty percent of our math grade. It was going to be easy for me, because we had been working on it all since the beginning of the school year. But for Susan, it was a different story.
“Susan, do you want to come over this weekend so I can help you to get ready for the math midterm next Tuesday?” I asked.
Susan replied, “Sure. I just have to get permission from my parents first.”
I loved helping my classmates, and since Susan was my best friend, it made it easy for me to want to help her.
The next day in class, a few of my friends and I were quizzing each other on math.
Susan came up to me to ask, “What are you doing?”
Another one of our math classmates, Kenya Robinson, replied, “We’re just trying to get ready for this big midterm next week. Would you like to join us, Susan?”
Susan responded, “No, I think I will get ready for the test on my own.”
Kenya said, “Okay.”
I knew that it wasn’t that Susan didn’t need the help—I knew she was just too embarrassed to show her flaws in math to anyone else but me. She hated test results, because everyone would talk about their math test grades. When they would ask Susan about her test grade, she would just lie and tell them she got another “C,” but in actuality she probably got a “D” or an “F.”
I called Susan on Thursday night to see if she had asked her parents about coming over on Saturday to prepare for the math midterm. She told me her parents said it was okay, so I told her we could study all day, with breaks to play, and my mom would make us lunch.
I was excited about helping Susan, so I woke up extra early on Saturday morning to get the dining room table prepared. I had our math textbook, some extra worksheets that I made copies of from class, scratch paper, and plenty of pencils. Susan was late. Once she arrived, I directed her to my dining room table, where I had everything set up.
Susan said, “Before we get started, Melodie, can I ask you a question? Actually, it is a favor.”
Because she was my best friend, I responded, “Ask away.”
To my surprise, Susan asked, “Melodie, I can’t learn all of this math stuff in one day. Can I just sit behind and cheat off your test? You are a wizard at this stuff, and we are best friends, aren’t we?”
I had to think about this decision carefully, because I am Susan’s best friend, but I knew that this was totally against my values and beliefs. I can’t cheat; nor can I let another student cheat off me. That would be wrong; plus, it’s not fair to me because I did properly prepare and study for the test, and she didn’t. Why should I give my work away?
I said, “Susan, I am sorry I can’t help you. If you were truly my friend, you wouldn’t ask me to do something so dishonest. Why do you think I have gone so far out of my way to help you in math? I could have suggested cheating long ago if I thought that was the best way.”
Susan at first looked dazed and confused, but in the end, she understood. We studied together for most of the day, and I was able to teach her quite a bit.
The last thing I said to her was, “I hope you realize I am being a true friend to you.”
Susan waved in a friendly way, so I knew she was not mad.
On Wednesday morning—the day after the big math midterm test—the students in the class were anxiously awaiting the results of their tests. I wasn’t worried about my grade, but I was worried about Susan’s. I got my test back, and it had a big 100% and an “A+” beside it. Then Susan got her test, and to her surprise, it had an 83% and a big “B” next to that. I gave her a high five and reminded her that hard work really does pay off.
Questions for Reflection
1. Has anyone ever asked you to help him or her cheat? What was your response?
2. Have you ever had the experience that, through hard work, you could be successful at something you had never succeeded at before?
3. Do you think Melodie is a good friend to Susan? In what ways?
4. Do you think Melodie did the right thing? Why?
5. If you had been in Melodie’s place, would you have let Susan cheat?
6. Now that Susan has asked Melodie to let her cheat, do you think Melodie will trust Susan quite as much as she did before? Will Susan’s acceptance of Melodie’s answer and her hard work help Melodie trust her again?
Exercise
Imagine the following scene:
You and a friend volunteered to paint a fence in the back of the school. You’ve worked hard, gotten sweaty, told other friends you couldn’t play with them, and even postponed lunch in order to finish. The fence looks great! A third friend of yours comes up and stays with you a while, not working but just talking.
Now the principal comes out of the school building. He is very happy with the painted fence. He praises and praises you.
Then he says, “As a special reward, here’s some ice cream.”
Your third friend, who didn’t do any of the work, has been smiling at all the praise and gladly takes an ice cream cone. He didn’t do any of the work, but he’s willing to take the rewards. It’s a little like cheating.
What should you do in this situation? Discuss it as a class.
Well, our big midterm math test was coming up—the one that is supposed to be fifty percent of our math grade. It was going to be easy for me, because we had been working on it all since the beginning of the school year. But for Susan, it was a different story.
“Susan, do you want to come over this weekend so I can help you to get ready for the math midterm next Tuesday?” I asked.
Susan replied, “Sure. I just have to get permission from my parents first.”
I loved helping my classmates, and since Susan was my best friend, it made it easy for me to want to help her.
The next day in class, a few of my friends and I were quizzing each other on math.
Susan came up to me to ask, “What are you doing?”
Another one of our math classmates, Kenya Robinson, replied, “We’re just trying to get ready for this big midterm next week. Would you like to join us, Susan?”
Susan responded, “No, I think I will get ready for the test on my own.”
Kenya said, “Okay.”
I knew that it wasn’t that Susan didn’t need the help—I knew she was just too embarrassed to show her flaws in math to anyone else but me. She hated test results, because everyone would talk about their math test grades. When they would ask Susan about her test grade, she would just lie and tell them she got another “C,” but in actuality she probably got a “D” or an “F.”
I called Susan on Thursday night to see if she had asked her parents about coming over on Saturday to prepare for the math midterm. She told me her parents said it was okay, so I told her we could study all day, with breaks to play, and my mom would make us lunch.
I was excited about helping Susan, so I woke up extra early on Saturday morning to get the dining room table prepared. I had our math textbook, some extra worksheets that I made copies of from class, scratch paper, and plenty of pencils. Susan was late. Once she arrived, I directed her to my dining room table, where I had everything set up.
Susan said, “Before we get started, Melodie, can I ask you a question? Actually, it is a favor.”
Because she was my best friend, I responded, “Ask away.”
To my surprise, Susan asked, “Melodie, I can’t learn all of this math stuff in one day. Can I just sit behind and cheat off your test? You are a wizard at this stuff, and we are best friends, aren’t we?”
I had to think about this decision carefully, because I am Susan’s best friend, but I knew that this was totally against my values and beliefs. I can’t cheat; nor can I let another student cheat off me. That would be wrong; plus, it’s not fair to me because I did properly prepare and study for the test, and she didn’t. Why should I give my work away?
I said, “Susan, I am sorry I can’t help you. If you were truly my friend, you wouldn’t ask me to do something so dishonest. Why do you think I have gone so far out of my way to help you in math? I could have suggested cheating long ago if I thought that was the best way.”
Susan at first looked dazed and confused, but in the end, she understood. We studied together for most of the day, and I was able to teach her quite a bit.
The last thing I said to her was, “I hope you realize I am being a true friend to you.”
Susan waved in a friendly way, so I knew she was not mad.
On Wednesday morning—the day after the big math midterm test—the students in the class were anxiously awaiting the results of their tests. I wasn’t worried about my grade, but I was worried about Susan’s. I got my test back, and it had a big 100% and an “A+” beside it. Then Susan got her test, and to her surprise, it had an 83% and a big “B” next to that. I gave her a high five and reminded her that hard work really does pay off.
Questions for Reflection
1. Has anyone ever asked you to help him or her cheat? What was your response?
2. Have you ever had the experience that, through hard work, you could be successful at something you had never succeeded at before?
3. Do you think Melodie is a good friend to Susan? In what ways?
4. Do you think Melodie did the right thing? Why?
5. If you had been in Melodie’s place, would you have let Susan cheat?
6. Now that Susan has asked Melodie to let her cheat, do you think Melodie will trust Susan quite as much as she did before? Will Susan’s acceptance of Melodie’s answer and her hard work help Melodie trust her again?
Exercise
Imagine the following scene:
You and a friend volunteered to paint a fence in the back of the school. You’ve worked hard, gotten sweaty, told other friends you couldn’t play with them, and even postponed lunch in order to finish. The fence looks great! A third friend of yours comes up and stays with you a while, not working but just talking.
Now the principal comes out of the school building. He is very happy with the painted fence. He praises and praises you.
Then he says, “As a special reward, here’s some ice cream.”
Your third friend, who didn’t do any of the work, has been smiling at all the praise and gladly takes an ice cream cone. He didn’t do any of the work, but he’s willing to take the rewards. It’s a little like cheating.
What should you do in this situation? Discuss it as a class.